SOCIETY

Observer, Volume 7, Issue 235, 14 March 1885, Page 6

SOCIETY

It is announced that a marriage has been arranged between the Princess "Clementine, daughter of King Leopold, of Belgium, and Prince Albert Victor, eldest son of the Prince of Wales.

It is stated that Lady Aylesford intends to set up a claim to the Earldom of Ayleford on the part of her son, whom she calls Lord Guernsey, and who was born in wedlock. This will raise some nice points for the consideration of the court.

It is whispered that the marriage of the Queen's grandchild, Princess Elizabeth of Hesse, with the Grand Duke Sergius of Russia is anything but a happy one. This is very sad. and it is to b« fo.-i-f.rl th">b V-,o bride has discovered some fxnindation for the saying- that you have only to scratch a Russian to find a Tartar. Still, they are both young-, and matters may mend ; many husbands and wives are far less happy during the first year of married life than afterwards.

The Bishop of Bedford has joined the advocates of marriage with a deceased wife's sister. He is a most acceptable convert, and his sentiments will be made use of the next time the measure is brought before the Upj>er House, for he is reported to have said that such marriages are compatible with the highest purity of mind and conscientiousness of motive : as the bishops, with one or two exceptionsj have always been against the scheme in previous years, this acknowledgment of the morality of the question shows an advance where advance was thought impossible.

The following are a few of the most noticeable dresses worn at the invitation dance given by the Onehunga brass band on Tuesday evening : — Miss Hill, fawn-coloured cashmere ; Miss Shaldrick, white muslin cardinal trimmings, silver jewellery ; Miss Bray, white muslin, pink trimmings, silver jewellery ; Miss Dore, pink sateen ■" Miss 11. Shaldrick, pink sateen, silver jewellery • Misses Gardiner, brown and white muslin '• Mrs Stokes, pale blue nun's veiling lace trimmings, silver jewellery; Miss Pavfoot, grey carmelifce. Who was belle must remain an open question, for where all looked so nice it would be invidious to particularise. The music was supplied by Messrs Meredith and. Kelsall, and was all that could be desired.

The late Colonel Burnaby was married to a very young wife only six years ago, and the lady is known as the publisher of a volume of Alpine travels of her own. The story of the match, is rather romantic, for Mrs Burnaby was an Irish heiress, the daughter of Lady Whitshed, of Grreystone, County Wicklow, and fell in love with her hero through reading his well-known " Ride to Khiva." Faith became sight when she was introduced to him at one of Her Majesty's Drawing-rooms, and the pair were married while the bride was still a minor. Lord Chancellor Ball arranged the marriage settlement, and as there were estates to the value of £6000 a year to be settled, it may be imagined that he took all due and proper care of his ward. Mrs Burnaby has been wintering at Davos Plat'z.

There is now no doubt as to the truth of the report lately circulated to the effect that the Prince of Wales will not ask Her Majesty to apply to Parliament for a pecuniary provision for her eldest grandson. The Sandriugnam estate, on which the coming of age will be celebrated, has been improved by the expenditure of £200,000, and the farmers and cottiers will all be regaled, the company invited including the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Prince and Princess Christian, the Princess Louise and Marquis ot Lome, the Duke of Cambridge, Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar, Count and Countess Grleichen, General Dv Plat, and many others. It is said that the Prince of Wales prefers that his son should be styled Prince Edward, not Prince Albert, and everyone knows that among his friends he is always called " Eddy."

The death of the Earl of Aylesford was not unexpected by his friends. Many of those who knew him were surprised that he did not die a violent death. Last year he came over from Texas to see the Derby, and had his legbroken in a scuffle at a railway station on the return from Epsom ; and returning to Texas he re-entered the wild career he had been leading. Before starting lie chalked the hall doors of his friends with the words, " Gone to Texas." It was in 1871 that he came into his patrimony, and he was then only two -andtwenty years of age. Within three years he had run through everything, and had mortgaged the property and sold the seven livings. In 1874 he gave a magnificent entertainment to the Prince of Wales at Packington Hall, the home of his ancestors in Warwickshire, when it was said that never since the days when Queen Elizabeth visited Kenilworth had money flowed so freely or hospitality been so lavish. A month afterwards the fine old place was seized, and bailiffs occupied the seats wherein the Heir Apparent and his friends had sat. The Earl of Aylesford will be but little regretted. He lived up to the family motto, " Aperto vivere voto,' J and died in a cowboy's shed.

Mr W. H. Webbe's annual social to his pupils and friends came off at the newForesters' Hall, Newton, on Tuesday evening. About one hundred put in an appearance, and the entertainment was, both numerically and socially, very successful. The concert was opened with the ever welcome overture to " Zampa" by Miss Keturah Campbell and Mr }Y. li. "Web'be. The most noticeable numbers of the seventeen which followed were : A piano solo on American airs (very well played by Master Sturtevant) • a piano duet, "Poet and Peasant" (Von Suppe), Miss Streeter and Mr Webbe ; " Waiting,'" song, by Miss Stephenson ; and Diabelli's grand duet in D, arranged for two pianos capitally executed by Misses Campbell, Miss .Archibald, and Mr Webbe. The second parfc opened with a selection from Mozart's " Don Giovanni," for organ and piano, by Miss Iv. Campbell and Mr Webbe, in which the youn^ lady hardly did herself justice. Miss Streeter followed with a delightful rendering of Wyman's "Silver Wave 1 ' on the piano. Mr Edmonds gave Han del' s "Arm, Arm, ye Brave" with fire and expression; and' the "Rakoczy March" (one of the Abbe Liszt't, most famous compositions), spiritedly played by Misses Campbell, Holt,' Streeter, and Mr Webbe, brought the concert to a close. A most agreeable dance followed, and was kept up until past 2 a.m. The spacious floor, and lofty, well-ventilated hall added not a little to the comfort, and enjoyment of the dancer? and nothing could exceed Mr Webbe's courteous attention and evident desire to promote the pleasure of all present.

AUCKLAND STREET DRESSES. Miss llattray: A mourning costume of black cashmere ; Henri hat. Mrs Oberliue Browne: Black cashmere dress ; pretty black Henri hat. Mrs James Alexander: A very pretty mourning costume ; black Henri hafc. Miss Firth: Very handsome wine-coloured costume ; white eclipse straw hafc, with feathers. Miss McKenzie Fraser : A very pretty Lascelle coloured dress; tasteful white hat Nvith black velvet. ' ' Mrs Earle : Pretty washing silk costume • white straw hat, trimmed with .moss-o-reen velvet and feathers to match. ° Mrs Ernest Butler: Pretty olive-o-reen washing silk ; handsome black dolman ; white hat, with feathers and lace trimmings.' Miss Chamberlain : Very becoming blue gingham dress, with embroidery to match for trimming; stylish white Henri hat, and plumes. Mrs Kimpton : Very elegant blue and white washing silk ; black Spanish lace mantle • white chip bonnet, with lace an;l Indian muslin trimmings.